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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. charge — electricity
  3. suit — to fit
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. charge — in control
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — in cards
  10. tear — from crying
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bat — the animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. last — final
  16. tear — to rip
  17. club — a group
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. band — a ring
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com